Explosion-Denio/Wilson, ranked No. 10 in the nation by FloSoftball, wasn't exactly detonating on offense, but it got fantastic pitching and defense in a 0-0 tie against No. 3 Beverly Bandits-Tyrrell/Conroy and a 2-0 victory over No. 11 Sorcerer in pool play at the So Cal A's Invitational on Friday at Harvard Park in Irvine, Calif.



UConn-bound Carli Cutler of Explosion and Notre Dame-commit Alexis Holloway went toe-to-toe in a classic pitching duel in the 0-0 draw. Cutler was perfect through the first 4.1 innings and ended up allowing two hits and striking out seven, while Holloway also was perfect through 4.1 innings and ended up allowing four hits and striking out seven.

"I think we were just trying to play our game defensively, strikeouts come, but let the offense put the ball in play and let our defense do the work," Cutler said. "We're still just trying to find our rhythm offensively, but I'm confident we'll start doing what we do best and that's scoring runs."

Explosion had a run erased in the top of the sixth inning. Stanford-bound Kristina Inouye, who came over to Explosion from Firecrackers-Rico, led off the sixth with a single and her pinch runner stole second. Arizona State-bound Ali Tatnall singled and stole second, giving Explosion runners on second and third with no outs. Villanova-bound Jordan Olivarez attempted a squeeze, but Holloway threw a pitch too high for her catcher to handle, Olivarez pulled back her bat and the pinch runner scored on the wild pitch. But the plate umpire said Olivarez foul tipped the pitch and waved off the run even though it looked like Olivarez never came close to touching the ball. Holloway ended up getting Olivarez on a come-backer, then struck out the next two batters to escape the jam.

Arizona State-bound Alyssa Loza, who led North Torrance to a CIF Southern Section Division 4 title a couple of weeks ago to close out her high school career, tossed a two-hitter with two walks and six strikeouts and the Explosion played flawless defense for the second straight game to shut out Sorcerer, 2-0.

"The competition here is off the charts," Loza said. "Coach Jim (Wilson) did a great job calling the game. Jordan (Olivarez) was doing a phenomenal job behind the plate, keeping me calm and I knew my defense was going to back me up every single time, so I had trust in them. I just threw my pitches."

Stanford-commit Mina Nicolas, who swiped a CIF San Diego Section-record 64 bases for High Tech SD High of San Diego this past season, led off the top of the second by beating out an infield single and she took second on an error by the catcher. Stanford-bound Hannah Howell drove in Nicolas with a single to give Explosion a 1-0 lead. Explosion added an unearned run in the top of the seventh for some insurance.

With 12 of the top 15 teams in the nation in the 15-team field at the So Cal A's Invitational, there are no cupcakes to be found.

"This is what we want to play," Loza said. "This is what's going to prepare us for Colorado and PGF and college. You just gotta come out here and want to compete and give it your all."

In other pool play games at the So Cal A's Invitational:

No. 48 DeMarini Aces 2, No. 5 Firecrackers-Rico 1: Alabama-commit Madison Preston tossed a one-hitter with four strikeouts and the DeMarini Aces manufactured a couple runs to upset the Firecrackers.

No. 7 All American Sports Academy 6, No. 27 Jersey Intensity-KOD 2: Syracuse-commit Hope Brandner went 3 for 3 with five RBI to lead AASA past the Jersey Intensity.

No. 2 So Cal Athletics-Richardson 3, No. 15 Georgia Impact Premier 0: Arkansas-bound Autumn Storms retired the first 13 batters she faced and finished with a one-hitter and LSU-committed Ciara Briggs went 1 for 3 with a run and and RBI to lift the So Cal A's.

No. 6 Corona Angels-Tyson 4, No. 7 AASA 2: Washington-commit Noelle Hee drove in UCLA-bound Aaliyah Jordan with a line drive double to the gap in right-center field and the Corona Angels also scored three unearned runs to knock off AASA, which got a solo homer from Brandner in the bottom of the seventh.

No. 8 PA Chaos 6, No. 15 Georgia Impact Premier 2: Illinois-commit Serenity Stewart hit a two-run bomb to center field in the second and uncommitted Devyn Losco had a two-run single during a three-run rally in the sixth to lift Chaos over Georgia Impact.

No. 3 Bevery Bandits-Tyrrell/Conroy 4, No. 48 DeMarini Aces 1: Notre Dame-commit Alexis Holloway threw four scoreless innings to get the win and Louisiana State-bound Michal Cunningham had a three-run double in the first to power the Beverly Bandits.

No. 2 So Cal Athletics-Richardson 1, Irvine Sting 0: LSU-committed Ciara Briggs tripled and scored in the first inning and Stanford-commit Maddy Dwyer threw a one-hitter as the So Cal A's pulled out a narrow victory over Irvine Sting.

No. 11 Sorcerer 4, No. 5 Firecrackers-Rico 4: Oklahoma-commit Eliyah Flores doubled and eventually scored on Utah-bound Alyssa Barrera's infield single in the bottom of the third to give the Firecrackers a 3-3 tie with Sorcerer. UCLA-commit Holly Azevedo pitched her way out of a no-out-bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fourth to preserve the tie for Sorcerer.

No. 1 OC Batbusters-Stith 8, No. 8 PA Chaos 2: Arizona-bound Dejah Mulipola hit a two-run homer in the first inning as the Batbusters rolled over Chaos.

No. 4 Birmingham Thunderbolts 3, No. 6 Corona Angels-Tyson 2: Fresno State-bound Giselle Juarez allowed three hits and struck out four to get the complete game win, Alabama-bound Elissa Brown went 3 for 3 with two runs and a stolen base and Auburn-bound KK Crocker went 2 for 3 with a run and a stolen base as the Bolts edged the Angels.

No. 21 So Cal Choppers 5, No. 27 Jersey Intensity-KOD 3: Arizona-bound Jessica Harper drilled a grand slam off the scoreboard in left field in the top of the fifth to help the Chopper rally from a 3-1 deficit to beat Jersey Intensity.

No. 1 OC Batbusters-Stith 5, Irvine Sting 0: Mulipola hit an inside-the-park homer in the first inning and Arizona State-commit Terra McGowan and Cal-commit Jocelyn Alo each hit two-run homers in the sixth as the Batbusters flexed their muscles over Irvine Sting.

No. 4 Birmingham Thunderbolts 2, No. 21 So Cal Choppers 1: Auburn-bound Ashlee Swindle, the Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year, got the complete game win and the Bolts rallied from a 1-0 deficit to knock off the Choppers.

NOTES

PA Chaos was playing without star pitcher Maggie Balint, the three-time Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year. The Oregon-bound right-hander was playing in the AAAA Pensylvania state championship game and her team, Avon Grove of West Grove, Pa., lost to Hempfield Area of Greensburg, Pa., 1-0 in eight innings on Friday night. ...

Oregon-bound Miranda Elish, the No. 1 player in the FloSoftball 2016 Hot 100 and a three-time Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year, won't be at the So Cal A's Invitational because she is playing in the Indiana High School All-Star Game.

So Cal A's catcher Montana Dixon has been a softball magnet all season. She got hit by pitches 30 times during the high school season while playing for Lakewood, Calif., she got beaned once last weekend at the Zoom Into June Invitational and she got HBP'd again in the So Cal A's first game against Georgia Impact Premier. Ouch! ...

Written by Carlos Arias 

SO CAL A'S INVITATIONAL AT HARVARD PARK, IRVINE, CALIF.

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, SCHEDULE

See FloSoftball's Ultimate Streaming Guide

POOL PLAY

OC Batbusters-Stith vs. Georgia Impact Premier at Field 5, 8 a.m.
Firecrackers-Rico vs. Explosion-Denio/Wilson at Field 3, 8 a.m.
So Cal Choppers vs. Jersey Intensity-KOD at Field 7, 8 a.m.
OC Batbusters-Stith vs. So Cal Athletics-Richardson at Field 5, 10 a.m.
Firecrackers-Rico vs. Demarini Aces at Field 3, 10 a.m.
So Cal Choppers vs. Corona Angels-Tyson at Field 7, 10 a.m.
Irvine Sting vs. Georgia Impact Premier at Field 5, 12:20 p.m.
Sorcerer vs. Explosion-Denio/Wilson at Field 3, 12:20 p.m.
AASA vs. Jersey Intensity-KOD at Field 7, 12:20 p.m.
PA Chaos vs. So Cal Athletics-Richardson at Field 5, 2:20 p.m.
Beverly Bandits-Tyrrell/Conroy vs. Demarini Aces at Field 3, 2:20 p.m.
Birmingham Thunderbolts vs. Corona Angels-Tyson at Field 7, 2:20 p.m.
PA Chaos vs. Irvine Sting at Field 5, 4:20 p.m.
Beverly Bandits-Tyrrell/Conroy vs. Sorcerer at Field 3, 4:20 p.m.
Birmingham Thunderbolts vs. AASA at Field 7, 4:20 p.m.

BRACKET PLAY

TBA vs. TBA at Field 5, 6:40 p.m.
TBA vs. TBA at Field 3, 6:40 p.m.
TBA vs. TBA at Field 7, 6:40 p.m.